Why is it important to track the customer journey and how to analyse it?

In a world full of competition, where companies are fighting for the attention of every potential customer, understanding the steps a customer goes through from first contact with your brand to completing a purchase is becoming one of the key skills. Customer journey tracking is not only an analytical process, but also an art of identifying the needs, wants and emotions that accompany your customers.

What is the customer journey?

The customer journey is the collection of all the points where the customer interacts with your company. These points can include ads, social media, websites, physical stores and much more. Each of these interactions forms a mosaic that shapes the customer's impressions and ultimate decision. If you can understand and analyse this journey, you can identify where you can add value, eliminate problems, or optimise your marketing efforts. 

Why is customer journey tracking important?

1. Understanding customer needs: The customer journey is the story of your customers' needs and expectations. When you understand what motivates your customers, what their barriers are and what type of communication suits them, you can offer them a better experience.
2. Identify opportunities for improvement: A detailed journey analysis can help you uncover pain points where customers lose interest or opt for competitors. For example, if many people abandon their shopping cart just before completing a purchase, you can identify this point and optimise for higher conversions.
3. Increasing customer loyalty: Customers who experience a seamless and enjoyable journey often become loyal ambassadors for your brand. Tracking and improving the customer journey leads to positive reviews, greater loyalty and more frequent repeat purchases.

How to analyse the customer journey?

1. Mapping the journey: The first step is to create a customer journey map.This includes all the key points of interaction that the customer goes through. For example, you can use tools like Google Analytics to analyse online behaviour or interview your customers to better understand their experience.
2. Defining customer personas: Customer personas are imaginary representatives of your key segments. It's important to define them because each segment may have different needs and journeys that require a specific approach.
3. Data tracking: Track your customers' behaviour on your website, in your online stores, or on social media. Tools like Hotjar provide information about how customers move around the web and can reveal potential barriers or ambiguities in the user interface.
4. Feedback analysis: Surveys and interviews with your customers can catch up with much more than just hard data. The human factor and emotions customers share can help you uncover deeper issues and find creative ways to improve their journey.
5. Testing and optimization: Once you've identified weak points, it's time to test. A/B testing or UI research can help find the best way to improve the customer journey.

Example from practice

Imagine you have an online electronics store and customers repeatedly abandon their cart just before completing their purchase. Through customer journey analysis, you discover that the main problem is a complicated payment process or lack of payment options. When you simplify this process, you'll see increased conversion and fewer cart abandonments.

Conclusion

Customer journey tracking and analysis are key tools for any company that wants to provide the best possible experience and build a long-term relationship with their customers. By understanding your customers' needs and barriers, you can better tailor your strategy, increase conversions, and build a strong and loyal customer base.

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